Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To cause (someone) to feel a loss of pride, dignity, or self-respect.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To cause to be or appear lower or more humble; depress; especially, to abase in estimation; subject to shame or disgrace; mortify: as, to humiliate one's self by a confession; to humiliate a boaster.
  • Synonyms Debase, Degrade, etc. (see abase); mortify, shame, put to shame, put down, dishonor.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To reduce to a lower position in one's own eyes, or in the eyes of others; to cause a loss of pride or dignity; to humble; to mortify.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To injure a person's dignity and self-respect.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Late Latin humiliāre, humiliāt-, to humble, from humilis, humble; see humble.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Late Latin humiliatus, past participle of humiliare ("to abase, humble"), from Latin humilis ("lowly, humble"), from humus ("ground; earth, soil"); see humble.

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Examples

  • Scotland's Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who will welcome Benedict when he arrives in Edinburgh on Thursday (Sept. 16), recently voiced bitterness over press coverage when he accused the government-funded British Broadcasting Company of attempting to "humiliate" Benedict.

    Pope Benedict To Encounter Hostile Audience In U.K. Visit 2010

  • Scotland's Cardinal Keith O'Brien, who will welcome Benedict when he arrives in Edinburgh on Thursday (Sept. 16), recently voiced bitterness over press coverage when he accused the government-funded British Broadcasting Company of attempting to "humiliate" Benedict.

    Pope Benedict To Encounter Hostile Audience In U.K. Visit 2010

  • So they decide to do what one of Warman's wards calls "the ultimate expression of free speech": they're going to physically attack Icke in public, by throwing a pie in his face, to "humiliate" him.

    Ezra Levant: January 2008 Archives 2008

  • The scene in the video where Warman is sitting around with some street urchins, gleefully plotting to "humiliate" Icke told me all I needed to know: Warman wasn't about human rights, or elevating society, or the best of the human spirit.

    Who's afraid of Richard Warman? - Ezra Levant 2008

  • The scene in the video where Warman is sitting around with some street urchins, gleefully plotting to "humiliate" Icke told me all I needed to know: Warman wasn't about human rights, or elevating society, or the best of the human spirit.

    Ezra Levant: February 2008 Archives 2008

  • This tactic has been used by Israel's so-called friends in prievious wars launched against her in order not to "humiliate" the Arabs and compromise their "honour".

    On Thursday, the Legg report will be published along with... 2008

  • So they decide to do what one of Warman's wards calls "the ultimate expression of free speech": they're going to physically attack Icke in public, by throwing a pie in his face, to "humiliate" him.

    "The ultimate expression of free speech" - Ezra Levant 2008

  • I am slowly but surely gathering a dossier of photographs that I could use against Travis, I say 'use against', but I actually mean 'humiliate'. ;- in event of him ever obtaining high office.

    The Trav Randall Caption Competition Kerron Cross 2006

  • This raid shows the U.S. has not learned the lessons of Abu Ghraib, and is still trying to "humiliate" perceived opponents.

    Hullabaloo 2004

  • This raid shows the U.S. has not learned the lessons of Abu Ghraib, and is still trying to "humiliate" perceived opponents.

    Hullabaloo 2004

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